The Christmas Spirit
by metalzippy99
Summary: Kim makes a mistake and is desperate to rectify it, but how far will she go?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible or any of the characters, this story is for non profit purposes

Authors Note: When I first submitted this story, it was intended as a oneoff, but I eventually wrote a followup and wasn't too happy with it. I then wrote another which I also wasn't completely satisfied with, so I wrote a third. Each of these followups will be submitted as a separate chapter after this one, so don't expect them to make sense if you try to read them chronologically.

* * *

She only found the hidden vent by accident. Crawling through Drakken's air conditioning was an occupational hazard for Kim Possible even if it was Christmas Eve. It lead directly to his main control room as usual, and if not for an uncharacteristic stumble she would have crawled right on by. Instead, a hastily flung out elbow brushed a seemingly solid metal panel only to reveal a concealed mesh cover leading who knew where.

Kim hesitated for a second or two. Ron would be expecting her any second now, he always hated crawling through confined spaces and had entered the base through the service entrance, but this hidden passageway suggested a much more secretive location.

Wary of possible booby traps, Kim scanned the newly revealed tunnel with her Kimmunicator, revealing laser beam detection systems and hidden flamer defences protecting whatever lay at the end of this mysterious passageway. She sent a neutralizing EMP wave ahead of her, only to have to dodge the visciously sharp flechettes that suddenly filled the space she had occupied mere moments before.

Panting slightly with the raised adrenalin levels in her body, Kim looked askance at the metal shrapnel that had embedded itself in the metal walls of the air vent, whatever lay at the end of this passageway was more heavily protected than anything she had experienced before.

The tunnel ended in a standard air conditioning grill. She wasted a few more seconds checking for further traps, but whoever had protected this secret passageway had obviously expected intruders to be caught by the previously revealed defences. Kim listened for a while, and hearing nothing, kicked the grill away from its mounting and slipped into the room beyond.

It certainly wasn't what she expected. A small, utilitarian space with a hard slate floor, there was just enough room for a single bed, grey sheets neatly made up, and a few items of furniture such as a wardrobe and chest of drawers. What really drew the teenagers attention, however, was the dressing table.

Pushed up against the far wall, a large mirror mounted above it, there were only a few accoutrements evident on its surface, each tidily arranged to minimise clutter.

Around the mirror were a number of picture frames, each one showing a proud member of Team Go, with newspaper clippings detailing their achievements fixed beneath. Kim's mouth dropped open as she realised where she was. Carefully fixing the air vent back into its proper place, she approached what appeared to be a shrine to Shego's supposedly estranged family.

The cuttings dated back seven years, but some of the more recent ones were only a few months old. As she got closer, Kim also noted a number of pictures on the dressing table itself, of a young girl, long black hair already a feature, smiling and laughing while watched over lovingly by an older beautiful woman.

Kim could see the family resemblance immediately, and correctly assumed that these were pictures of Shego's mother. Suddenly feeling like an intruder, she almost turned away, but curiosity got the better of her.

As she walked up to the table, she was drawn to a number of glass bottles containing lightly coloured liquid. One in particular drew her attention, a distinctive shape, she picked it up and pulled out the stopper to be greeted with the unmistakeable aroma of Shego's favourite perfume.

Kim inhaled deeply, closing her eyes to better savour the scent that she knew so well. It was a smell she had never encountered anywhere else, exclusively belonging to the master thief. Taking one more appreciative sniff, she carefully replaced the stopper.

"Find anything in particular Princess?"

The voice caught Kim by surprise. Spinning round in shock, she flushed at the sight of her nemesis standing in the doorway, the expression on her face showing her displeasure at finding an intruder in her inner sanctum.

Embarrassed to be caught, she lost her grip on the bottle she was holding and it slipped through her fingers dropping to the floor before she could catch it.

Time seemed to slow as the bottle tumbled to the ground. Shego's eyes widened in panic as she saw catastrophe unveiling before her. She leapt, arm outstretched in a desparate attempt to save her precious prize, but she was too far away.

The bottle hit the stone floor, shattering into a thousand pieces, even as Shego's frantic dive ended in failure. Kim stood horrified at the scene before her. The knowledge that she had destroyed something so obviously precious filled her with shame.

"Shego, I'm so sorry." Kim began, but her apology fell on deaf ears. Shego scooped up a few of the larger pieces of crystal, a few drops of fluid remaining, but there was no saving it, the flask and its precious contents were gone.

"My mother gave me that perfume." Shego's voice was small and hurt, edged with tears that intensified the sickening sensation Kim was feeling.

"Why Possible? Why?"

Unable to face Shego's pain any longer, Kim fled. Rushing out of the room through the door Shego had opened only moments before, the last sound she heard were Shego's tears as she began to sob uncontrollably.

"KP, you OK?" Ron's cry went unheeded as the redheaded teenager sought to outrun her own shame. Drakken looked on incredulous as his nemesis fled his lair without destroying his latest creation, her sidekick looking on for a few seconds with bewilderment before hurriedly following his friend, leaving the mad scientist to stand alone in bemused confusion.

"Was it something I said?"

* * *

Hours later, Kim sat in her room in the darkness, her head buried in her hands. She couldn't get the sound of Shego's tears out of her head, her soul ripped in two by the anguish expressed by the usually brassy mercenary.

Berating herself for her own clumsiness, it took a while for her to realise that the scent she could smell was not a memory of the perfume she had destroyed but rather something tangible within her own room.

With a jolt, she realised that some of the liquid had splashed on her combat pants, and the aroma was still detectable. A plan formulated within her head, one that would salve her own conscience, and she wasted no more time before putting it into action.

Wade jerked awake when he heard the Kimmunicator alarm bleeping its emergency signal. Fearing the worst, he fired up his computer, only to see Kim's face staring intently at him from the screen.

"You OK Kim?" he asked blearily, stil half asleep, but Kim didn't have the time for him to wake up gradually.

"I need a scan, right now, and i need the results twenty minutes ago."

The intensity of her voice drove the sleep from his mind as he saw her hold the Kimmunicator up to what looked like a pair of her mission pants.

"OK Kim, results coming through right now." He looked at the printout on his auxiliary screen. "Alcohol base, various trace elements... looks like a perfume of some sort?"

"I know that!" Kim's voice as impatient as she cut through the computer genius' spiel. "I need to know what brand, and where I can get some more."

"Can't really say Kim." Wade sounded apologetic, he never liked not having an answer to anything she asked of him, he took such things personally. "I mean I can see the ingredients, but couldn't begin to speculate on which specific ... Oh hang on, he quickly ran a comparison over the web, it looks very similar to a Paul Gaugin recipe."

"Paul Gaugin? Didn't we save his factory from burning down a few years back?" Kim recalled.

"That's right, he's in Paris. You want I..."

Kim never let him finish. "I want a ride to Paris tonight, and Wade"

"Yeah Kim?" the boy's voice had a weary tone as if he knew she was going to ask something unreasonable.

"I want him awake when I get there OK!"

* * *

"I am sorry Miss Possible, I really can't help you."

The middle aged Frenchman actually sounded apologetic, even though he had been roused from his bed in the small hours of the morning. He sniffed once more at the set of pants Kim had given him a few minutes previously.

"I remember the scent of course, it was one of my earliest creations, my masterpiece in fact, but I was indentured to a perfume manufacturer at the time, they kept the rights to manufacture and they went bust many years ago. I very much doubt there are any remaining vials in existance.

Kim's face fell at the news. To think that she had destroyed the very last bottle of this perfume was too terrible to contemplate. So terrible in fact, that she refused to consider it.

"Someone must still hold the rights surely." She knew that business ventures rarely disappeared completely, there was always some value to be had from old lines, something an auditor would seek to sell on just to realise at least some return on the investment.

"Come to think of it, you are right. There was a company that was interested in diversifying into cosmetics at the time." Paul Gaugin was pathetically pleased to be able to help this young woman. The desperate look of hope that filled her face didn't go anywhere near to repaying his debt to her, but it made him feel happy that he could instil such a feeling in someone to whom he owed so much.

"Great! Who is it?" Kim's face fell when he told her. She stared at him for a few seconds before accepting that she had heard him correctly.

"Man, this is gonna cost me. Big time."

Thanking the Frenchman, she called up Wade, and organised a return trip to the States.

* * *

When Shego opened her eyes on Christmas day, she at first couldn't remember why she felt so low, but it only took a few seconds to recall the tragic events of yesterday, and tears welled up in her eyes once more.

She had tried to save what she could once Possible had left, but it was hopeless. Eventually she bowed to the inevitable and had thrown the broken crystal shards into the bin, and retired for the night, crying herself to sleep.

With a sob, she flung herself back onto the pillow and pulled the duvet over her head. Her lip trembled as a wave of misery threatened to overwhelm her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking from her ducts despite her best efforts to restrain them.

Her foot kicked something at the end of the bed, something hard. Puzzled she prodded it with a toe, there was definitely something there that shouldn't be. Irritated, she flung the cover back of her head and sat up.

She stared at the stocking for several minutes, her brain struggling to comprehend what it was doing there. Certainly Drakken would never dare to enter her room unless invited, as if that would ever happen!

Eventually, curiousity overcame her misery and she pulled the small package towards her. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small present, wrapped in green paper. It was squat and round, and with trembling hands she ripped it free from the packageing to reveal a small crystal vial containing a familiar yellow liquid.

Still not believing her eyes, she tentatively pulled the stopper free from the neck and took an apprehensive sniff.

Tears welled up in her eyes once more, this time from happiness as the familiar scent worked its way into her nostrils. Her free hand found its way to her lips as she covered her mouth in an attempt to control her emotions. She failed miserably. Carefully replacing the stopper, she placed the precious vial safely on her dressing table, before sitting back on her bed and letting the pent up feelings erupt in a renewed burst of happy tears.

* * *

Senor Senior Senior sighed as he surveyed the room. Jack Hench's New Years Eve parties were legend, and as a renowned super villain, his attendance was expected, but they were such tedious affairs. After all, his fellow evil doers were such lowlifes in general, certainly not the sort of people he wanted to associate with. I mean, even that oaf Motor Ed was invited. Really.

The theme this year was typically lacking in class. The waitresses were dressed up in some kind of homage to the playboy bunnygirls, all corsets and stockings. Junior seemed to be enjoying himself, but as an eighty year old man, such pasttimes no longer held any attaction to him.

"Good evening, my name is Kim and I'll be your waitress for this evening"

The voice behind him sounded vaguely familiar, but it was Junior's gasp that finally made him turn his head. His mouth dropped open at the sight that greeted his eyes.

Dressed in a corset that left nothing to the imagination, enhanced only by a suspender belt, fishnet stockings and high heels stood Kim Possible. She was holding a notepad and looking very uncomfortable indeed. It took some time before his brain could assimilate the situation.

"Miss Possible. What are you doing here? Is this some trap designed to bring me into custody?"

Kim rolled her eyes, she had heard this on every table she had worked this evening, Hench must have done it on purpose. First Duff Killigan, then Monkey Fist, and now the Seniors. There was only one thing that could make this night any worse.

"Nope. Nothing to do with you, I'm just repaying a debt." Her voice was resigned as if this wasn't the first time she had had to explain herself

Every other villain Kim had explained this to had refused to believe her, it had taken Jack Hench's personal intervention to calm Monkey Fist down, and by the smirk on his face he had enjoyed every minute of it. Having the great Kim Possible waiting tables at his party was a massive coup. Senor Senior however was different, he respected the importance of keeping ones word. With a respectful bow, he placed his order and let the young girl go without another word.

It didn't stop his speculating, however, even as he noted how Junior appeared transixed by the sight of her scantily clad body sashaying across the room. Kim Possible forced to wait tables all night, this was going to be a most interesting night.

"Dr Drakken and his sidekick Shego!" The announcer proclaimed as the latest arrivals to the party walked down the stairs and were led to a nearby table. Senor Seniors eyes flicked from the newcomers to the direction Kim had disappeared to. Oh yes, this was going to be a most interesting night indeed.


	2. Chapter 2 Lowdown and dirty

Authors Note: This was my first attempt to follow up chapter one. Got mixed reviews and is the followon Love Robin originally posted for me while I got my account sorted.

* * *

As Shego dragged her back into the room, Kim blushed as she felt every eye in the room looking at them. There was no doubt in her mind that everyone knew what they had been up to. The dishevelled hair, the smudged lipstick and ripped stockings would be clue enough, but the skimpy corset she was wearing offered no concealment to the hickey on her left breast, or the one on her inner thigh.

She hadn't thought too much of it when Shego first dragged her into the closet on the pretext of thanking her for her present, although the kiss on the lips had caught her unawares. It was only after the thief began to 'Unwrap her other present' that she had realised the situation was totally out of control. It was just that that scent had inflamed her senses, disorientating her just enough for her nemesis to break down defences she had been maintaining for years.

Unlike Kim, Shego revelled in being the centre of attention. She too knew that her antics with Kim were common knowledge. I mean, who could have guessed that Princess was a screamer?

The crowd parted as she led the unresisting teenager to the centre of the dance floor. The band began to play a slow bump and grind number, and the thief grinned her appreciation as she pulled her new lover close.

There was no resistance this time, no "but I'm straight" or the feeble attempt Kim had made at trying to push away the stronger older woman before melting into the kiss and submitting fully to her more experienced partner. This time, Kim's lips met hers hungrily, eager to once more taste the exquisite sensations she had first experienced in a laundry closet not twenty minutes earlier.

As Shego's hand slid down the younger girls back, over the curve of her buttock and slipped under the thin material of her basque, Kim hooked one leg over her lovers hip giving Shego the access she so desired. While questing fingers worked their magic, Kim threw her head back, unheeding of the fact that her gyrations had been too much for the scant covering of her body, one breast slipping free. It didn't remain exposed for long.

Black stained lips fastened on the exposed nipple, tongue questing and teeth nipping at this unexpected prize. Kim began mewing as the sensations began to build once more, oblivious to the crowd of evil supervillains stunned into motionless shock at the wanton display of pure lust being played out before them.

Shego couldn't wait any more and decided it was time for them to go. She let her tongue flick the engorged teat within her mouth once more, before biting down hard on the surrounding flesh. Not too much so that the skin broke, just enough to leave a mark.

It elicited a moan of both pain and pleasure from her young lover. Shego's hand slid out from under the flimsy cloth, fingers glistening with the evidence of what she had been up to. Kim groaned as the blessed release she had been hoping for was denied her, while Shego, her head still bent down over Kim's exposed tit, looked up and her with a feral grin.

"Come on Princess, we're leaving!"

Shego headed for the door, pulling the unresisting heroine behind her. Unable to move fast enough in the heels she had been wearing Kim stumbled, losing a shoe in the process. Rather than try to retrieve it, she simply kicked off its partner, too desperate to follow her dark mistress to care that she was in stocking feet.

"Hench, I'm commandeering your waitress for the night." Shego called over to her host who was leaning back against the bar, watching the display.

Jack Hench bowed his head in acquiescence, a patronising smile on his lips

"Consider it a favour from me to you." he called, but Shego paid him no heed, tugging her eager partner up the steps and out of the room.

Hench shook his head. The way those two were behaving, he doubted they would make it out of the parking lot before getting back down to it.

In fact, they made it to the yellow lambourghini parked out front. Shego slid round to open the driver's door, taking a few moments before she gained access. Leaning over, she opened the passenger door letting Kim slide into the bucket seat. The teenager never saw the SSJ1 numberplate signifying its owner or noticed that the thief hotwired it instead of using a key.

"My place or yours?" Shego asked with a wicked grin.

Kim ran her hand over the leather seats with a matching smile of her own. "Spanking!"

"Now there's an idea!" The hunger in Shego's voice made Kim shiver in anticipation

* * *

Just as the door swung shut behind the two lovers, Drakken re-entered the chamber from the other end. He was not in a good mood having spent thirty minutes on the toilet after the rich food and fine wine had a disastrous effect on his digestive system. Spending another twenty minutes wandering around the bowels of the building looking for the way back to his seat did not improve his temper and it took a few moments before he registered the stunned crowd looking agape at the swinging exit.

Turning his head to and fro, he couldn't understand what could have affected the entire Evil community in such a fashion.

"What did I miss?"


	3. Chapter 2 Angst

"A Sarsaparilla and make it quick."

Drakken snapped as the waitress finally arrived to take the drinks order. He didn't even look at her, he was so focussed on the band that were playing.

"Really Shego, I can't believe Hench hired such a bunch of amateurs, I could do better than this"

He got no reply from his partner, not that he expected one, Shego never seemed to take his concerns seriously. In fact Shego hadn't even heard him, she was too busy staring at the apparition before her. Her mouth moved a few times, before she could even speak, and when she finally did, it was an incoherent garble.

"Wha?"

"And look! Dementor's got a much better table than we have." Drakken continued to moan, he was the same every year.

"Your drink?" Kim prompted. She rolled her eyes as she had been through the same routine every table she served.

Blinking quickly, Shego shook her head to jar her mind back into working order. With a quick glance at her boss, who was still looking to see if he had been given a table appropriate to his status, she finally managed to say something sensible.

"Rum and Coke?" she blurted, unable to believe this was really happening.

Kim nodded and walked away leaving Shego to stare at her receding figure until she felt Drakken tugging at her sleeve. Without waiting to see what he wanted, she brushed away his arm, smoothing down the ruffled silk fabric with a distracted frown.

"I've got to . . . powder my nose." she improvised, standing abruptly and hurrying away, leaving her bemused boss to wonder what she was talking about.

* * *

"Sarsaparilla? That's gotta be Drakken!"

Kim smiled as the barman rolled his eyes and pretended to stick his fingers down his throat. Initially suspicious of this renowned crimefighter, he had quickly warmed to the way she approached every obstacle with a cheery attitude, regardless of whatever Hench threw at her.

"Got it in one Fred." She smiled back, it was nice to see one friendly face in this gathering of ne'erdowells, at least half of whom she had sent to jail at some time or another. He turned away to get the drinks, and Kim was just about to pick up the order he had already prepared for another table, when a hand reached out and grabbed her elbow. Kim found herself being spun round, and wasn't surprised to be face to face with a fuming Shego.

"Princess, what the fuck are you doing?" Shego hissed, glancing fearfully at the nearest tables where some of Kim's most implacable enemies were sitting, enjoying the show.

"I'm working Shego, what does it look like?" Kim pulled her arm free, and picked up the drinks on the bar, placing them on the large tray she was carrying. "Now if you don't mind, I've got other tables to wait on, I'll bring your drinks over in a minute."

"Are you trying to get killed?" Pulling on Kim's arm once more, Shego caused the younger girl to stumble slightly in her heels, only her finely toned sense of balance prevented drinks spilling all over the floor.

"Come on, I'm getting you out of here."

"Is there a problem ladies?" The measured tones of Hench caused Shego to finally release Kim's arm.

"No problem Mr Hench, I'm just serving table six." Kim took this opportunity to step out of Shego's reach, quickly disappearing from sight as she hurried away.

"I hope you aren't bothering my waitresses Ms Go." Hench's condescending tone put Shego's hackles up, but she was certainly too smart to do anything so stupid as to give the irritating man the smack he deserved. Controlling her temper, she turned and addressed him directly.

"Alright Hench, what is she doing here?"

Jack Hench smiled. Judging by the reactions his guests were having to his temporary workforce, this party was going to be the talking point for years to come.

"I needed some hired help, and young Ms Possible was kind enough to offer." His lips twitched as he saw the spasm of frustration pass over the green woman's face. Shego was the most fun of all his clients when it came to winding them up.

"Yeah right, you just put a call out on her website I suppose." Shego wasn't buying it, there had to be some other reason. "Don't take me for a fool, she'd never agree to this willingly."

"Au contraire, Shego." The smile on Hench's face dipped slightly at the implied insult that he would resort to force to get his own way. "I happened to do the young lady a favour recently, and she was more than happy to reciprocate." The grin was back as he saw the expression on the woman's face.

"What favour, what did you do that would make her do something like this?" Shego leaned in close but Hench wasn't intimidated.

"Now Now Shego, you know I never divulge the business matters of my clients. There is a thing such as client confidentiality you know. I take that very seriously."

Shego wasn't listening. Her mind moved fast when it needed to, and things were starting to fall into place.

"Dammit!" She cursed. Turning away and returning to her seat, only to find Drakken still moaning about some imagined slight to his massive ego. Passing one hand over her eyes, she thought this was going to be a long evening.

* * *

Kim sighed as she went back to work. After waiting tables for over two hours, the lights had dimmed and the cabaret started, giving her a chance to take the weight off her feet. It had taken her five minutes to remove those shoes, and other few minutes to rub some feeling back into her toes. Whoever had designed them obviously never wore them for any length of time.

To be honest, she was surprised how well the evening was going. When Hench first dictated his price for replacing the bottle of perfume, she had refused, but he could see how desperate she was and hadn't relented. In the end she had no choice but to give in, although she begun to have serious doubts when she saw the uniform she would have to wear.

Still, a deal was a deal, and although she had been given the tables belonging to all her major foes, he atleast had the decency to give Motor Ed to someone else, so that was something. Plus, after they realised what the situation was, it appeared they got a kick out of having her at their beck and call. Only Senor Senior didn't take advantage, he had been a perfect gentleman all night.

Even serving Drakken and Shego had gone better than expected, the blue man too busy moaning about imagined slights on his status to even notice she was there. True, Shego had made a bit of a scene, but Hench had squashed it before she drew too much attention.

"Come on girls, back to work." One of the bouncers stuck his head round the staff room door. Grumbling, her work colleagues got up and left, leaving Kim to frantically try and do up her shoes, the straps wrapping round her lower calf, as the buckles failed to cooperate. As a result, she was the last one out of the room. Heading back to the main ballroom, she never saw the shadow that detached itself from the wall, intercepting her as she passed through the door.

"In a hurry Princess?" Shego's husky tone brought Kim to an abrupt halt. The older woman, closed the gap between them, causing Kim to back up only to find her back against the door lintel.

"Shego, I've got to get back to work" she said, but her protests were dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"Relax, Hench isn't going to fire you, and even if he did, so what?"

Faced with that logic, Kim had to admit Shego had a point.

"Look, I just want to thank you for the present, you know?" Shego actually sounded uncomfortable, avoiding direct eye contact. "You shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."

"Of course I should." Kim's voice was soft, and she rested one hand on Shego's arm. "I broke that bottle when I had no business being where I was. I couldn't live with myself if I hadn't done everything I could to replace it." She smiled slightly at the sheepish look peering out from under Shego's sleek black hair. "I was glad to do it, this is nothing, really."

"Nothing Huh?" Kim's words had salved Shego's conscience slightly, and for the first time really registered what she was wearing. "You dress like that often?"

Kim blushed as she felt the older woman's eyes rove over her exposed body. "Not as a rule, no." she admitted.

"Pity!" Shego's voice took on a more lascivious tone. "It's much more appealing than that scruffy turtle neck top and combat trousers you insist on wearing." Kim could almost hear the older woman purr as she leered at her.

Her eyes widened as she realised that Shego was actually hitting on her. "Look, Shego, I'm flattered really, but I'm, you know, straight!"

The gap between them vanished as Shego leaned her face up close. Her perfume, that Kim had gone through so much to supply, now filled her olfactory senses, overwhelming them with it's musk. Kim found her breath shortening as the scent filled her head.

"And you've never even been curious what it would be like?" Shego's whisper in her ear sent shivers down her skin, the feeling of hot breath on her lobe, quickened her pulse at the primeval emotions exhibited by this predator.

"Well..." She never finished the sentence. Her eyes, caught in the older woman's intense gaze, followed as Shego's eyes looked up to what was suspended over the doorway. The biggest bunch of misteltoe Kim had ever seen.

Her eyes jerked back to look in Shego's face only to see the feral grin on the older woman's face. Transfixed, she could do nothing as Shego's mouth closed the gap between them. Breathing in short pants, her exposed cleavage was heaving with the turgid atmosphere that engulfed her, until with a final lunge, black stained lips reached their prize.

For a moment, all Kim could focus on was the fact that she was kissing Shego. Her eyes widened at the thought, and she reached up to push the older woman away, but then the feeling of sensuality took over, the soft touch of those lips on her own didn't repulse her like she had expected it would, and she found herself responding to the sensation of the sweetest kiss she had ever experienced.

Her eyes closed in pleasure, soft shivers running down her spine as she found herself wrapped in an clinch her body suddenly yearned for. Letting the passion take over she reciprocated; wrapping her arms around Shego's neck, she revelled in the touch of bare skin as she ran her hand up the older woman's exposed back until her fingers found themselves wrapped in long black hair, pulling the embrace even tighter.

How long the kiss lasted, Kim couldn't tell. She lost all track of time until the need for air finally brought her back to reality. Suddenly realising what she was doing, she pulled away, albeit reluctently. The skin of her bottom lip sticking slightly to that of her furiously, she stepped back, Shego letting her go although she took the opportunity to let her hands trail down Kim's arms as she did so.

"I've got to get back to work." Kim hurriedly pushed past and as quickly as she could manage in her shoes, raced back to the bar.

Shego watched her go, a slightly surprised look on her face as if she couldn't believe she had actually got away with it. She brought the tips of her fingers to her mouth, running them across the moist skin on her lips just to prove to herself that she hadn't been dreaming. With a dazed look on her face, she returned to her table, only to find Drakken talking to Motor Ed. Slipping into her seat, she tuned out the moronic conversation taking place beside her, closing her eyes and reliving the recent event that had stirred her so much.

* * *

Shego grumbled as she headed back from the bathroom. If there was one thing wrong with the venue for this party, it was how far away the toilets were. Not that she minded missing some of the floor show. After the earlier events of tonight, she wanted nothing more than to return home and dream of kissing Kimmie. She hadn't seen the teenager for a while, and assumed that she had finally worked off her debt and gone home.

A muffled squeal as she passed a closet door made her pause. Frowning, she turned to look, her instincts warning her of something amiss.

"That's right baby bet you want this."

The lustful implications made Shego snort with disgust. Probably some lowlife getting it on with his girlfriend. She turned away, heading back to the party.

"Hold her steady, I can't get it in."

The words had barely escaped his lips before the speaker shrieked in fear as the door to the closet he was in exploded. Showered in splintered wood, he covered his head with his hands to protect it, the trousers round his ankles leaving his naked groin plain for all to see.

It was all Shego needed to confirm her suspicions. That and the sight of three other men, holding down some poor girl who was still struggling feebly.

"Bastard!" Her growl turned the potential rapist's bowels to water as he saw a face so filled with fury that it looked almost demonic.

Shego didn't give him time to react. Both hands reached out and grabbed the luckless man around the neck. To angry to even fire up her plasma, she simply pulled his face down to meet her rapidly rising knee, with bloody consequences.

His companions all stared in shock as they saw the man's nose explode in a shower of blood, before scrambling for the door, even as Shego hurled her victim through the opening so that he slammed into the opposing wall with a sickening thud.

She almost went after them, but a stifled groan from the girl brought her attention back to the room. She saw the fishnets first, capped with those ridiculous shoes Hench had made all his waitresses wear. Only subconsciously did she note that the legs were firm and muscular, before the shock of red hair covering the unfortunate girl's face nearly caused her heart to stop.

"Princess, Kimmie, can you hear me?" Shego was on her knees by the girl's side instantly. She reached one hand out to lift her head, snatching it back as she registered the blood caked area where they had hit her from behind. A bloodstained winebottle nearby revealed the weapon that had been used.

"Kimmie, are you OK?" Frantically, Shego checked for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when she found it strong and regular.

"Sh Shego?" Kims mumbled croak brought tears to the older woman's eyes as she realised the teenager was OK.

Seeing the younger girl struggle to get up, Shego put both hands under her arms and pulled her up. The ripped corset gave way, but she didn't take any time to admire the view. Instead, she grabbed a large bath sheet from a nearby pile of laundry and wrapped the still concussed girl in its folds.

"Come on, we've got to get you to a hospital." Shego kept talking, trying to keep Kim's attention on seeking medical attention, and not dwelling on what had almost happened. Leading her through the back corridors, she was nearly at the fire exit when she was intercepted by a man in a smart suit.

"Not stealing my favourite waitress I hope?" he asked, but Shego didn't have time for this.

"Outta my way Jack, she's been attacked." Shego never stopped walking, "She needs to be in a hospital now!"

"Attacked, by whom?" Hench couldn't believe that something like this could have happened at one of his parties.

"The Rat brothers." Shego identified the culprits, a small time gang that had recently grown in ambition. Hench's face darkened at the news.

"My car is out front, Otto will drive you." He was suddenly all business, determined that no employee , even one as temporary as Kim Possible, should get anything but the best attention. "He can get you to Middleton Hospital in about twenty minutes."

"N.. Not M.. M.. Middleton!" Kim stuttered, struggling feebly as she frantically tried to stand on her own.

"It's the nearest place Kimmie, there's nowhere better." Shego spoke softly, almost cradling the hurt girl as she tried to reason with her.

"NO!" Kims shout startled all who were watching, surprised to hear such insistence in her voice. "My mother, she can't see me like this!"

Shego sighed, but Hench had another idea. "Take her to Upperton, there's a man there that can help. Otto knows where to go."

"And what are you going to be doing?" Shego asked, even as she began to move towards the exit, only for it to be opened by a shaven headed man in a large suit that must be Otto.

"I've got a few salutory lessons in respect that need to be addressed." Hench's voice was cold, and Shego knew she wouldn't be seeing the Rat brothers really caring, she half led, half carried the still protesting teenager out to the car.

* * *

Ron kicked the stone down the road, putting all his frustration into it. It bounced along before flying off the kerb and hitting a parked car sitting by the side of the road. He winced a bit at the incriminating white chip in the paintwork, but was too angry to really had blown him out again, it was starting to become something of a habit, and for the life of him, he couldn't begin to figure out why. Ever since New Year, a time they usually spent together, she had been different. Whatever business she had had to attend to that night had changed her and it wasn't for the better. She wouldn't even hold hands now, and when he thought about the time he had tried to kiss her well, the less said about that the better.

Looking up, he realised he was in a part of town he didn't usually frequent. It wasn't dangerous here, just run down and slightly careworn, where the less fortunate inhabitents tended to congregate. As he wandered down the street, he passed a few delapidated shops, paint peeling and rotten woodwork a testament to the years of neglect. One of them was a coffee house, and as he looked through the window, he saw something that made his jaw drop.

* * *

Shego sat with one arm resting on the shoulder of the sobbing girl, auburn hair covering the shaking head as she cried into her arms resting on the table. When first arriving, she had sat opposite, but one look at the pale visage and she knew she was facing someone on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

She had expected something like this when Kim first called her, but seeing it in reality was still shocking. Quickly moving seats, her first tentative touch had been enough to send the girl into floods of tears. Not knowing what else to do, she squeezed her shoulder and gently rubbed her neck, waiting for the crisis to pass.

Eventually, her gentle ministrations calmed down her companion to the extent that she could lift her face from her arms. Tearstained cheeks, dark shadows under the eyes and a blotchy face all pointed to someone who was seriously sleep deprived, and Shego kicked herself for not checking up on her earlier.

Medically, she had been OK. When Hench's man had taken them to his contact, it turned out to be one of the foremost doctors in the country, Hench certainly didn't skimp on looking after his employees, and in Kim's case had pulled out all the stops. The wound to her head where her attackers had smashed a wine bottle into her skull was fortunately superficial, fixed with a few stitches, but Shego berated herself for not expecting there to be mental issues, even if the girl wasn't actually raped.

She was glad to see when Kim lifted her head and finally looked at her, but it didn't last for long. Even as her erstwhile nemesis gave her a fragile smile, it was wiped off her face with a look of horror, her eyes widening as she saw something over Shego's shoulder.

"So this is where you are eh?" Shego cursed as Ron's angry voice sounded loudly in the quiet cafe, " This is what you blew out our date at Bueno Nacho for?"

Kim's face crumpled at the hostility he was directing at her, mental defences already torn to ribbons were shredded by this new attack she was in no way ready to handle.

"So are you going to explain yours..." he never got to finish. Erupting out of her chair, Shego grabbed him by the neck and began to frogmarch him to the door. Fingers frantically scrabbling at the vise-like grip of the villainous woman, his eyes bulging as he fought for breath, he was unable to free himself until he found himself once more outside on the pavement.

When the green fingers finally released their grip, he could do nothing but rub his throat for a few seconds while his windpipe gasped for air. He looked up, his mouth open to speak, but the look on his assailant's face left him speechless. The angriest he had ever seen Drakken's sidekick before was when he disturbed her holiday once. At the time he thought that was as evil as she could look, but the expression facing him now was much much worse. Fury darkened her skin to deep green, her eyes flashed with anger that he expected them to burn with green flame at any moment. Only the very real danger of green plasma was missing.

"Listen to me, you little shit." Shego hissed, struggling to keep her temper under control. She really was angrier than she could remember, and only the fact that Kim had feelings for the guy stopped her from frying him where he stood. "She is going through something you cannot even begin to imagine. If I hear you bothering her again, I'll melt your face till you make medical history. You understand?"

Unable to do anything else in the face of such ferocity, he could only nod. Shego turned to leave. She had wasted enough time with this idiot, and Kimmie needed her.

"What is going on?" No longer transfixed by Shego's stare, Ron finally managed to blurt out the question he really wanted to ask. He gulped as that demonic visage turned to face him once more. "She won't tell me what's wrong."

Shego leaned into his face, making him lean back in fear. "If she wanted to tell you, she would have. Now how about, instead of focussing on your own selfishness, you leave her the fuck alone to work out her issues. OK?"

The last word was forced through gritted teeth, flames briefly erupting from her hands before she regained control and snuffed them out. Without even waiting for an answer, she spun on her heel and headed back into the coffee bar, leaving Ron to slink away, feeling crushed at the thought that he couldn't help his girlfriend, and even worse, that she didn't want his help.

When Shego slipped back into the chair by Kim's side, she was greeted with the wide-eyed whitefaced stare of the teenager. Tears were still evident on her cheeks, but her first words were out of concern for her boyfriend that she had watched being run out of the building.

"You didn't hurt him did you?"

Shego was still bristling like a lioness protecting her cubs, and her snort at Kim's query about Ron's health spoke volumes.

"As if I would waste my time with the likes of the buffoon."

Kim looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"It's not his fault really, he just doesn't understand." She wrang her hands fretfully, before casting a despairing look at her older companion.

"I just can't bear him touching me." she blurted "As soon as he reaches out, I cringe." she flushed as she remembered pushing him away when he tried to hug her. "It just brings it all back!"

"I know." Shego's voice softened as she stroked Kim's forehead, brushing a wayward lock of hair from her eyes. As far as she was concerned, rape was the worst evil one human could inflict on another. To be violated so brutally, killed something inside you. She was sure that inch by inch Kim was dying inside.

"Listen Kim, this isn't something you can deal with on your own, you need to tell someone."

Kim shot her a frightened look.

"No, not Ron." Shego guessed what the teenager was thinking. "He's got all the emotional maturity of a six year old." She looked into the younger woman's eyes . "I was thinking of your mom."

Kim backed away, shaking her head furiously. "No, I can't." Her voice rose in panic at the thought.

Shego reached out and put her hand on her arm.

"Kim, you have to tell someone. This is going to kill you otherwise."

The urgent tone in Shego's voice broke through the hastily projected walls Kim had been building around her soul, and she just collapsed in a flood of tears.

"B..But I can't" she sobbed. "They expect me to be so strong, their perfect little girl." Tear-filled eyes looked up pleadingly at the older woman, begging her to make things right. "It'll destroy them." Her wide eyed stare and shrill voice told Shego that she was becoming hysterical.

She reached out and grabbed the teenagers shoulders, giving her a little shake to jolt her out of her panic.

"Seeing you break down will destroy them" she insisted. "If you tell them, at least they can begin to understand what you are going through." Shego's voice took on a pleading tone of its own as she prayed her words would get through.

As Kim continued to stare, Shego realised she was on a knife-edge. One wrong word and even she wouldn't be able to halt the spiral of despair this poor girl was hovering on the edge of. What made it worse was that she knew the only reason Kim was in this position was because of her. That bottle of perfume, that had seemed so important mere days ago, suddenly faded into insignificance as she faced the human cost of the subsequent events.

In an attempt to get inside Kim's head, she cast her mind back to her own Hero days, dredging up long buried memories of how it felt to be the last hope of desperate people in the face of certain disaster.

Tears pricked her own eyes as she remembered the pathetic pleas of people on the edge, desperate for someone to create miracles in the face of unsurmountable odds. A sob rose up in her chest as suppressed emotions threatened to break free, but she ruthlessly forced herself to rise above it for Kim's sake.

"Kim, listen." She reached out and took both of the girls hands in her own, forcing her to meet her gaze. "Being a hero doesn't stop you being a person. Trust me, I know more than anyone, nobody's perfect."

She took a deep sigh as she opened herself up more than she had done with anyone for years.

"When I realised I was a lesbian, it nearly destroyed me. I was a pinup for every teenaged girl in Go City, lauded by every respectable group in society as a role model for daughter's everywhere to aspire."

She gave a sideways glance at the redheaded woman who was interested despite herself. "Obviously they didn't know me very well."

Seeing Kim smile even slightly at her aside gave her the strength to carry on.

"People's expectations rarely match reality, and when you break them, well they tend to take it personally."

She sighed as she remembered the vitriol she had had to suffer when she finally came out.

"But there was one group of people I could count on to back me whatever decision I made. My family stood by me and faced down every bad word and snide comment thrown in my direction. Backed me to the hilt and damn anyone who couldn't deal with who I was."

Her expression softened as she remembered the cameraderie she felt as her parents and brothers supported and protected her through possibly the most difficult stage of her life. Looking at the rapt girl beside her she reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Do you honestly doubt your family would do any less?"

Kim looked at her for a long time. As the seconds ticked by, Shego feared that her mind had shut down completely, but eventually she spoke.

"You think so? You really think they'll understand?"

Shego let go of her hands, only to gather the smaller woman up into a tight embrace.

"Do you really think your mother will think less of you just because you need help?"

"But I can't stand it." Kim's voice wailed as she tried to express the depth of her despair. "Even my father scares me, I can't be in the same room alone with him, and as for Ron..."

Shego squeezed her briefly. "Well with regards to Ron, I really can't help you there, not my area of expertise you might say."

She was rewarded with a scandalised chuckle, but Kim's next question totally threw her.

"What's it like? You know, being a lesbian."

"Huh? What you mean liking women instead of men?" Shego had never really thought about it for a very long time. "Not much different I guess, except for less snoring." She tried to make light of the issue, but Kim wasn't one to be deflected.

"Is it like that kiss, you know, the one beneath the mistletoe?"

Shego drifted off slightly as she recalled the kiss she had stolen from this very woman not one week previously.

"No Kimmie, it's rarely as good as that. You were something special."

She cringed even as the words came out, not wanting to remind her of the events that occured later that night, but Kim wasn't phased. Instead she stunned the thief once more with her next comments.

"Kiss me?"

Shego wasn't sure she had heard correctly.

"What, right here?" She looked about. Admittedly they were in a secluded booth seat and the coffee bar wasn't very busy anywat, but still."

"Please!" Kim's plaintive voice cut through to the older woman's heart. "That was the last piece of happiness I've felt since I was ... attacked." she stumbled over the words. "Since then, nothing. I don't feel anything, just numb. I need to know if i can still, you know, feel!"

Shego wasn't sure what to do, but seeing the young girl's pleading expression, she relented. Leaning forward, she gently stroked her hand over the redheads hair, tucking a stray tress behind her ear. Her hand continued down until it cupped her chin, and she leaned in and placed her lips on Kim's ruby mouth.

She deliberately didn't try to push, giving her charge plenty of opportunity to back out. She was also careful not to sexualise it, chastely pursing her lips and pressing them on the rosebud mouth before her. After that, all control was discarded, as both women found themselves lost in the sensation as soft lips caressed each other with something more than mere desire, a desperate need overcame them both as they sought to fill an emotional desire that each lacked.

When they finally broke away, Shego wrapped her partner in a hug while Kim hung on as if afraid to let go, her emotions finally getting the better of her.

She felt Kim break down into pitiful sobs, and let the girl cry for as long as she needed. Her own heart was breaking to see someone so strong, broken by circumstances she couldn't control. When this was over, she intended to pay her own visit to the Rat brothers, she was sure Hench would have kept them alive, even after a week of torture. There was no way he would let them off so easily as to kill them until he had extracted the maximum pain from their broken bodies.

"Listen Kim, even the villain community has standards. Hench is so angry at what happened to you while working for him, he has the entire underworld in lockdown. No-one dare move in case he decides they are taking advantage of your condition, and as for those who attacked you..." She shivered at the thought of the agony they were being subjected to.

"No-one is going to ask anything of you that you can't handle, so don't worry about that. You take as much time as you need." She was stroking the teen's hair now, letting her release all the pent up tension and anxiety as the younger girl's body shook with the violence of her emotions.

Slowly the sobs subsided into a more controlled crying, until she felt the redhead stir in her arms. Instantly releasing her grip, she let Kim push herself away, wiping her eyes with the heels of her palms until she could finally see through the tears and look into Shego's face.

"Look at me, I'm a mess." she gave a watery chuckle, drawing strength from her older companion.

Shego returned the half smile.

"Come on, You can clean yourself up in the car."

Before Kim had a chance to change her mind, Shego scooted out from her seat and took her hand, pulling her out of the booth. Kim kept a firm grip on Shego's hand as they left the building and headed out into the parking lot. After climbing into Shego's jeep, Kim sat quietly as they swung out onto the highway and headed back to Middleton.

Shego could see that Kim was getting more tense as they neared her home, until finally, when the car swung onto the driveway, she could see the girl was almost ready to run. Before the engine had even stopped, she had grasped the slim hand of her passenger and gave it a squeeze.

"You can do this." she encouraged, causing Kim to turn and look at her, desperation in her eyes.

"I don't think I can, not alone." Her eyes were pleading as she battled to face up to the task in hand. "Come with me?"

Her voice trembled, as if expecting rejection, but there was no way Shego was going to leave her now.

"Of course Pumpkin, I'll be there." She gave the hand she was holding another squeeze.

"And after?" Kim finally voiced the concern she had really been worried about. What would happen once she had told her family what had happened.

Reading her mind, Shego leaned across the car and cupped the teens face in her hands. "For however long it takes, I'll be there, OK?"

Kim squeezed her eyes shut once more as tears threatened to fall. Seeing the intense emotions wracking her body, Shego lifted the girl over to her own seat, half embracing, half cradling her as tremors once more shook her body.

Once Kim wrestled her emotions back under control, she looked up at the concerned green face peering back at her.

"How about forever, does forever sound good?"

Shego dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose before tucking the teenager's head under her chin.

"Yeah Pumpkin, forever sounds fine to me."

They sat there for a while just letting each of them gain control of the strong feelings coursing through their bodies, until finally, Kim looked up and with a weak smile moved to get out of the car.

"Lets get it over with them." she said as she slipped out of the drivers side. Shego quickly followed, slamming the door behind her. Hand in hand, the two of them headed up the drive to the front door. Kim squeezed her hand as Shego rang the bell and the two of them waited apprehensively until the door swung open, revealing a worried looking Anne Possible.

Seeing who was escorting her daughter and more to the point, the expressions each wore, she stepped back letting the two of them enter the house, shutting the door behind them without a word, knowing that whatever was on their mind her world was going to change forever.


	4. Chapter 2 Whimsical

Shego scowled as she nursed her drink, the evening stretched ahead in interminable boredom, just like it did every year. Sure, Hench's parties were the place to be, everybody who was anybody in the Evil community fought like cats to get an invite, but to her it was just another night when she was contractually obliged to hang around with a bunch of morons.

The jug of water from which she had filled her glass sat in the middle of the table, allowing her to block out, at least partially, the depressing sight of her employer. She was usually sick of the sight of him at the best of times, but at Christmas the feeling of nausea she got by just looking at him just seemed to get worse.

As she took another drink, she caught a waft of the scent she had miraculously been gifted just a few days ago. Closing her eyes, she revelled in the memories it brought back of an easier life, one she often wished to which she could return. Impossible of course, her parents were dead, her brothers teamed up in a superhero group and her, stuck in a stupid job with a stupid boss, and only the accumilated millions of dollars she had accrued in a life of crime. Still, she also had Kimmie.

She knew who had given her this wonderful gift obviously, and wanted to thank the redheaded heroine given the chance. Even if it had been her who broke her original bottle, she couldn't begin to understand how hard it had been for Kim to replace it, she had been trying for years. Also, the occasions she saw the redhead were highlights in a life that was humdrum and boring. If only she knew how to break out of this rut she was trapped in.

She heard the waitress come over, ready to take the drinks order. Drakken was too busy scanning the room for various competitors who had annoyed him over the past year, so she was left to get the round in.

"Virgin Mary and a Bacardi and Coke please." she said, turning to face the woman. She always believed in treating serving staff with courtesy, it was a crappy enough job at the best of times, without some arsehole treating them like shit.

"Certainly madam, I'll just be a minute'"

Shego stared open mouthed as the woman walked away. Dressed in a tacky black corset with red trim, leaving very little to the imagination, it was enhanced, if that was the right word, with a suspender belt and fishnet stockings, and a pair of heels that must be hell to walk in, but that wasn't what had left her speechless in amazement.

No, it was the fact that her waitress happened to be Kim Possible, crime fighter extraordinaire and poster child to the Wholesome Kids of America. Her glass slipped through numb fingers, falling to the table and spilling all over the fine weave tablecloth that covered the surface.

"Shego!" Drakken complained as he moved out of the way of the encroaching spill. "Be more careful!" but his sidekick wasn't listening. Ignoring the mess she had made, she just stared in the direction that Kim had disappeared, before standing abruptly and leaving her boss glaring at her in irritation as he was left alone.

Kim walked up to the bar and gave the steward a quick smile. It was swiftly returned. After all, what true red blooded male wouldn't be stirred by the vision of loveliness before him.

After passing on the order she went to pick up the other table's drinks that were waiting for her, but before she could even steady her tray, someone grabbed her arm and spun her round.

Confronted by the glaring face of Shego, Kim sighed and braced herself for the tirade, She had been expecting it since Hench had allocated her to Drakken's table.

"Are you insane?" Shego whispered, glancing fearfully around her, even as she shook the teenager as if to knock some sense into her. Kim looked on impassively, she knew there was no point trying to calm the hyped up supervillain until she had had her say.

"There can't be more than five people in this room who you haven't incarcerated in the past three years. What the hell do you think you're doing? Come on, I'm getting you out of here."

There was a real undertone of concern in Shego's voice, and it gave Kim a warm feeling in her heart to know that her nemesis was really worried about what might happen to her. It didn't change her reaction however, as she coolly shook off the supervillain's hold.

"I'm working Shego, what does it look like?" She turned away once more, determined to get back to serving tables.

"Working? You look like a street hooker." Shego hissed, somewhat surprised by Kim's cool demeanour at being recognised. "If you're working undercover, it's a pretty crap disguise Princess!"

"Undercover? What are you talking about?" Kim looked at her accuser with a puzzled expression. "I'm just waiting tables."

Shego never got a chance to respond.

"Is there a problem ladies?" The cultured tones of Jack Hench drifted over the two women, as he casually stepped between them.

"Sorry Mr Hench." Kim replied, "I was just serving table six."

Hench nodded his head, gesturing for the girl to get about her business. When Shego moved to intervene, he stepped in her way, as if by accident, although the master thief was smart enough to know that she had overstepped the mark.

"I hope you aren't going to interfere in all my staff's affairs Shego?" he asked, his eyebrows raising slightly to emphasise the point.

"N..No. Of course not." Shego stuttered. If Hench knew who she was, and he obviously did, then she didn't really want to intervene. After all, bad things happened to people who stepped on HenchCo's toes, she had no intention of irritating the most powerful organization in the business world.

As the small man walked away, she absent-mindedly reached out and grabbed the nearest drink on the bar. She barely noticed knocking back a double Jack Daniels she was so distracted. Didn't even notice the drink's owner start to get up angrily before being restrained by a more knowledgable colleague. Instead she just headed back to her seat, her head spinning at the prospect of Kim Possible waiting tables at the biggest Evil Community party of the year.

* * *

She sat at the table, not knowing what the hell to do. If Kim got out of this room alive, well she certainly wouldn't put any money on those odds. Waving her arm, she called over a passing serving girl, and put in another order for a double vodka, causing Drakken to raise his eyes in silent concern about how much she was drinking, even if he had the wit not to actually say anything to her face.

Admittedly, it was totally out of character. Shego was never one to lose control, and was known for nursing a single drink throughout a whole night, but she was already on her fourth and the evening had barely started.

Luckily, at least Kim had not continued to serve her table, Hench had quickly reassigned another waitress to avoid any further scenes. The thought of Drakken's reaction to finding out that Kim Possible was in the room sent a shiver down her spine.

In fact, she had hardly seen the teenage crimefighter all night, just once catching a glimpse of her talking to Senor Senior. Apparently, she really was just serving tables after all, there was no way the Senior's wouldn't have recognised her.

She winced slightly as Motor Ed drifted over to annoy his cousin. The only person less glad to see the moronic mechanic than Shego was Drakken, the whole family issue thing and all. What made it worse was she knew why he was here. The floor show was about to start.

It was a matter of contention that Hench tended to forget that women attended his parties, albeit a small minority. Even so, the burlesque shows he tended to put on bordered on the offensive, as Shego had often complained. Many years she was backed up by DNAmy and once even by Camille Leon, but this year it appeared she was in a minority of one. Steeling herself for an hour of nudity and over-excited male testosterone, she took a large gulp of her drink to fortify her for the ordeal to come.

At least Drakken was looking distinctly uncomfortable. His more earthy cousin was not backward in pointing out the various assets of the girls in these shows, something that the emotionally retarded evil scientist found distasteful in the extreme. His dislike of all things sexual was well known, and Shego put it down to him being a classic closet case. If he would only come out and admit it to himself, her life would get a whole lot easier.

The curtain parted, revealing the compere standing in front of a stage bare of all furnishings except for a pole extending right up to the ceiling. Shego's heart dropped, "Oh God, you cannot be serious!" Her involuntary outburst drawing a horrified look from her employer, and a leering grin from his long-haired blond cousin.

"Gentlemen!" The short man standing on the stage drew everyone's attention with a flamboyant flourish. "Tonight we have a special treat."

The curtains behind him stirred as he stepped to one side, gesturing with one arm towards the back of the stage.

"Fresh from the cornfields of the mid-west...ANNE!"

As the man started his buildup, Shego had gripped her drink, just dreading the lewd comments due to be thrown her way by the long-haired neanderthal sitting on the other end of the table. The girl was dressed in a similar corset and stockings outfit as that worn by the waitresses, but was topped off with a pair of arm-length gloves and a red cowboy hat that did nothing to reduce the tackiness of the whole ensemble. Finally, she wore a mask that covered the top half of her face, leaving only the small red lipped mouth visible, grinning at the enthusiastic cheer that greeted her appearance.

Raising her glass for a fortifying swig, Shego watched as the girl threw herself into her routine, flipping upside down, and with one leg wrapped around the pole, she let momentum do the rest, spinning round with arms spread wide to loud cheers from some of the younger, more uncouth members of the audience. Not that Shego noticed, she was too busy choking on her drink as she suddenly realised who it was who was dancing.

The hat might cover the red hair beneath it, the mask hid the distinctive features and green eyes, but nothing could conceal the body Shego knew so well after years of fighting.

"Quite right Shego" Drakken misunderstood his sidekick's distress, "A disgraceful display of sexist stereotyping."

Shego ignored him as she swiftly pushed back her chair and rose to her feet.

"I'll be writing a stiff letter of complaint to Mr Hench, I assure you." he added, afraid that the volatile woman was going to make a scene, but she didn't even register that he was speaking as she hurried away.

As Shego made her way backstage, she could hear the music pounding away, accompanied by the appreciating calls of the audience. All that was going through her mind, however, was turmoil. "What the fuck is she playing at." For the life of her, she failed to understand what Kim was up to, it just didn't make sense.

As the beat intensified, and the cheers grew louder, Shego broke into a run, desperate to save the teenager from making a huge mistake.

On stage, Kim was still titillating the crowd, working them up to a frenzy. Her outfit was skimpy enough that she hadn't actually had to remove much, although the hat had gone, lost in one of her more energetic dance moves.

Standing with her back to the audience, looking coyly over her shoulder, her eyes hidden by the mask she was wearing, she began to tug one glove off her arm to the rhythm of the music. When it came free she stretched it out between both hands, rubbing the fabric sensuously over her body before flinging it out into the crowd. She had just started to work on the second glove, when the curtain fell, to the groans of her disappointed fans. Looking over to the wings of the stage, she found herself staring at the glare of an apoplectic Shego.

Not waiting for the mechanism, the green sidekick had sliced through the ropes holding the drapes open with her bare hands. As soon as they had swung shut, she stormed out on stage and grabbed the semi-naked girl by the arm.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" She might have been whispering, but the sheer intensity in her voice spoke volumes.

Kim's mouth dropped into a pout as the older woman actually shook her by the arm in an attempt to express her disbelief. "Shego" she began but she wasn't allowed to continue.

"J..J..J" Shego was so angry she couldn't speak. Turning, she dragged the protesting girl off the stage and into the wings before spinning round and shaking a finger in her face.

"Right! What the fuck is going on Possible?" Kim opened her mouth to speak but wasn't given a chance. "And don't spin me some story OK? I want the truth."

Kim sighed, she had been hoping to avoid this but couldn't see any way of getting out of it.

"OK Ok! I owed Hench a favour alright?, and he asked me to work tables tonight to pay him back." She looked up into the incandescent glare Shego was directing at her.

"What kind of favour has you stripping for fucks sake?" Something about the teen's story just didn't ring true. "Hench is a bastard but he doesn't take advantage. Waiting tables I can believe, but this?"

Kim had the good grace to blush.

"Look Kim," Shego's voice had dropped to a more reasonable level. "I'm guessing I have this favour with Hench to thank for this perfume I'm wearing." She held up her hand when Kim made to interrupt. "And believe me I'm more grateful than I can say, but this has gone too far."

"But I can't stop." There was a slight tremble in Kim's voice as she looked sheepishly at her feet. "I..I need the money."

She looked up to see the confused look on the older woman's face.

"Look, Hench loaned me the factory, and even gave me permission to use the recipe, that's what the favour was, but I had to pay for the ingredients and labour myself."

She wrung her hands, not wanting to go further but she could see that Shego wasn't going to let her go until she knew the truth.

"Some of those compounds were wickedly expensive, and the crystal for the bottle..." She shuddered at the cost of shipping it in from Peru, along with the skilled artisan who could shape it.

"I had to break into my college fund, and now I've only got six months to pay it back." She felt Shego's arm release it's grip on her arm.

"After all, babysitting can only bring in so much, and I figured I'd get better tips if I ..." her voice trailed away in the face of the look she was being given.

"Money? That's it?" Shego couldn't believe it was something so trivial. "Hell, I'll pay you the full amount right now."

"Stolen!" Kim's voice rose in outrage at the thought of taking dirty money. "No way Shego. You might not like it, but compared to what you do, at least this is honest work."

She made to storm off in a huff, but she once more found her arm being grabbed, this time, the expression on the green woman's face was almost pleading.

"Kim, I have legit sources too!" She actually looked pained as she continued. "Please, stop it, you're too good for all this!"

Kim raised an eyebrow at this. "Too good for a hard day's work. Don't be silly." She pulled her arm free. "Anyway, I intend to earn it, otherwise it won't mean a thing."

This last comment made no sense to Shego, but seeing there was no way the girl was going to listen, she just stood and watched her walk away.

* * *

Drakken peered at his sidekick with a concerned look on his face. For a woman renowned for not drinking to excess, she was certainly knocking back the sauce. Drink after drink was delivered to the table; all of them doubles, and all of them swiftly consumed. Not that she looked drunk, however, but he could hear incoherent mutterings he didn't understand. Something about a "stupid girl" and "dumb code of morality" that made no sense. Resigned, he saw another glass placed in front of his volatile second in command and he turned away, hoping to find something less depressing to look at.

Shego didn't pay him any attention at all. She was consumed by a black mood at the thought of what Kim was putting herself through. After the argument back stage, the teenager had been avoiding her, and she hadn't seen her for a good half hour, but that didn't stop her brooding.

Still, on the bright side, the rest of the floor show had been more regular performers, no repeat showing by "Anne". It had taken her ten minutes to remember that this was Kim's second name, and although she could take some comfort in the fact that she had managed to disguise her identity on the stage, it didn't make her feel any better about the situation. Taking a long draught of her latest double vodka, she looked miserably around the room, wondering what the crazy girl was going to do next.

"Gnyarrrgh" Drakken shrieked as Shego sprayed him with a shower of pure vodka. he rubbed his face frantically as the unfortunate eye which had caught much of the blast began to sting furiously. By the time he could see again, his infuriating sidekick had left. Muttering furiously, he headed off to the restroom to clean up.

* * *

"Now Now Junior, you know I have delicate skin." Shego could hear Kim, still in her Anne persona chastising the eager young man. Senor Senior had obviously called it a night, leaving his impressionable son to his own devices, and by the looks of things, she was certainly making an impression.

"Only hundreds in the top, anything less has to go in the garter."

The mercenary could see her target bending over the table, exposing her cleavage to the occupant. Judging by the bundle of bills tucked into her garter, she had been working the tables for some time, but Junior had the funds to really go to town. Even as she watched, she saw him stuff a bundle of cash down Kim's top, the young girl pulling back before he could step out of the line and cop a feel.

Smiling sweetly, she called back "Always remember to tip your waitress." before turning to head back to the bar, only to find herself once more nose to nose with an incredulous Shego.

Not even bothering to speak, she grabbed Kim's arm and dragged her to a more secluded spot, even as the redhead was reaching down her top and pulling money out of her cleavage.

"This has got to stop!" she hissed. "You can't do this, its.. its wrong!"

Kim's lips twitched at the incongruousness of the master thief's comments. "Anything's possible for a Possible." she recited her family motto back at the green woman.

Shego was almost at the hair pulling stage. "Please Kim, whatever, I'll pay for you to go to college, just stop this OK?"

Kim shook her head, impervious to the pleading tone of the older woman's voice.

"I told you, I intend to earn it." She went to move away but the grip on her arm prevented it.

"Please Kim, Please?" Shego had never begged for anything in her life before, but she was doing so now. "Whatever you want, I'll do it but you've got to stop this."

Kim looked at her, and inscrutable look on her face.

"Anything? Really?"

Shego sighed in relief that the insufferable girl was actually considering her offer. "Yes, anything, just say it, and I'll do it. Just so long as you let me give you the money and you get out of here."

"OK, you're on." Kim appeared to think for a while. "I want..."

"Yes?" prompted Shego, expecting a request for information or even to turn herself in, anything had to be better than the slow torture Kim had been putting through her all night.

"I want...." Kim paused for dramatic effect, enjoying the sight of her foe so on edge. " A kiss."

Shego's jaw dropped. "You want a what?" she whispered, unable to believe what she had heard.

"You heard me!" Kim smiled evilly at the older woman's disbelief. "And not a quick peck either. A proper kiss, under mistletoe, right over there."

Shego's eyes followed where her tormentor was pointing. It was right in the centre of the room where Hench had fixed the largest bunch of mistletoe either woman had ever seen.

"You can't be serious." She gasped, looked back into Kim's eyes, looking for any sign that the redhead was joking, but she was met with a dismissive shrug.

"Well, if you aren't willing to pay up, I'll have to earn it in another way." She stepped away from the still stunned Shego, looking over her shoulder as she walked away. "Motor Ed promised to give me a tip I'd remember."

This finally jerked Shego out from her stunned inaction. Shuddering at the implications of that final comment, and knowing how the sex mad metalhead's mind worked, she finally surrendered to the inevitable.

"Fine, it thats what it takes." She marched up to where Kim was standing and grabbed her wrist. She weaved through the maze of tables, several of whose occupants tried to catch Kim's attention, waving notes of various denominations in her direction. Only when they stood right beneath the parasitic fertility symbol did she stop.

"Don't move!" Her tone left no room for disobedience, and Kim watched as the most renowned woman in the Evil community headed straight for the bar.

"Whisky!" She barked, and when the barman tried to fill a glass, she just snatched the bottle and downed half of it in one draught. Moving to place it back on the bar, she thought better of it and took another swig before heading back towards the waiting redhead. As she walked towards her fate, her head was swimming from the vast amounts of alcohol she had been drinking, and walking appeared to suddenly become difficult. Even as she stepped up to the smiling Kim, and slim pale arms wrapped themselves around her body, everything faded to black.

* * *

Shego jerked awake with a cry, not quite able to believe the dream she had had. She was nude, not that that was anything unremarkable. Drakken never had sorted out the central heating in this lair, and it varied between tropical and arctic.

The green woman looked around the room, taking comfort that everything was where it should be, the wardrobe, the dressing table, the clothes strewn across the floor. Wait! What?

Pale arms reached up from behind her, pulling her into a hug as the hands sought to cup the full breasts tipped with dark green nipples. Red hair tickled her ear as a voice breathed in her ear. "Come back to bed!"

Shego turned to look at the sight of a naked Kim, looking at her with an apprehensive look on her face. Shego's mind finally gave up trying to figure out what was going on and, unable to reason or even think rationally, took the easy way out and put up no resistance as she was pulled back into the arms of her lover.

* * *

An hour later, she lay on her side, her head propped up on one arm, the elbow leaning on her pillow, while the other hand smoothed a stray red tress from her partner's forehead.

"I thought you were going to kill me." Kim still couldn't believe that Shego hadn't kicked her right out of bed at the very least.

Shego shrugged. "I figured we had already done it drunk, I may as well do it again sober."

She leaned in and gave the girl's petite nose a kiss. "Gotta say, I'm glad I did."

Kim snuggled into her lover's body, nipping and sucking at the delectable delights hovering just above her head. Shego purred at the attention before deciding to get business out of the way.

"So Princess, how much do I owe you?"

"Nothing, Hench already paid." Kim's face blanched as she realised what she had said, her hand flying to her mouth in a futle attempt to stop the words she had already spoken from leaving her mouth.

"What?" Shego's voice had an ominous tone, the atmosphere in the room dropped noticably as an icy look appeared in her eye.

A picture appeared in her mind of being dragged out of the party past an amused looking Hench. The smartly dressed businessman was holding a cheque, which he passed to the scantily clad redhead as she passed, Kim barely stopping to tuck it between her breasts before continuing to drag the heavily drunk Shego from the room.

Her eyes flicked to the bedside table on Kim's side. Resting on its top was a familiar looking piece of paper. Words flashed briefly in her mind "You win Possible" and she gasped at the implication.

Faster than lightning, she lunged forward and grabbed the scrap of paper off the table before Kim could react. Glaring accusingly at the still horrified Kim, she opened it up and looked at the amount. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Fifty Thousand Dollars?" her voice squeaked in surprise, before turning to look at the vulnerable redhead once more.

"A bet? This was all a bet?" Kim flinched at the incredulity in the older woman's voice.

"No, not all of it." there were tears in Kim's voice as she pleaded her case. "I just had to get you to kiss me." Her face crumpled as she confessed everything.

"I was broke Shego" she wailed. "My college fund was half gone and there was no other way to make up the difference. Hench probably thought I had no chance, he just wanted to get his hands on the rest of my money."

Suddenly, Kim's behaviour last night began to make some kind of sense. "You set me up!" she accused. "All that business with the stripping and everything was just to get me to agree to kiss you?"

Kim nodded, put that way, it didn't sound a very plausible plan but it had worked. Her plans usually did somehow.

Shego shook her head at the sheer audacity of it. "Fifty Thousand Dollars?" She gave the still terrified girl a sly look. "You should have just told me" she smiled, "I'd have done it for a lot less than that!"

Kim smiled back. "Yeah, but you'd have wanted half the money, and I couldn't afford it."

"And this?" Shego gestured at the naked frame of the redhead beneath her. Is this part of the bet too?

"NO!" Kim's emphatic refusal rang around the room. "After we kissed, you insisted on making sure I left, and as you were too drunk to drive, my car gave you a lift back here."

"Your car gave me a lift?" Shego's brow wrinkled in confusion at the strange turn of phrase Kim had used.

"Well, to tell you the truth, it took more than a few drinks before I could go through with it all, so I wasn't really fit to drive either." From the look on Shego's face, Kim could see that she didn't understand. "My car has a self drive facility, with built in satnav" she explained.

Shego nodded as the penny dropped. "And then what?"

"Well, we snuck back in, and you decided to give me a goodnight kiss. One for road was how you put it, and here we are."

Kim moved to sit up, but Shego was on her like a shot. Pinning the smaller woman to the bed, she looked down into the trapped teen's eyes.

"You devious minx. I don't know if I should kill you or kiss you."

Kim looked up, her eyes filled with lust. "A kiss is more fun" she smirked.

Unable to fault her logic, Shego leaned down and kissed her, dragging the covers over them both as Kim pulled her down into a passionate embrace.


End file.
